Let's forget for a moment that Russian and Chinese battle ships are staged in the Middle East ready to jump in at the onset of any US intervention and begin WW III. What kinds of collateral damage has been noted in US- Middle East interventions in the past? For starters "According to a report by “costofwar.org” 15,500 to 17,000 civilians have been killed as a result of America’s invasion of Iraq and still counting in Afghanistan." According to a new study on US veterans, "...more veterans are killing themselves than previously thought, with 22 deaths a day - or one every 65 minutes, on average." Is this a result of having been involved in unjust wars, torture and prisoner abuse? Perhaps this is a factor. One of the least considered groups of people, the Middle East Christians, offers more to consider. The above map, sourced from a Christian persecution website, outlines how Christians are already being beaten in Syria for their faith. The Iraq and Afghanistan invasions have demonstrated that US intervention in the area do not help to alleviate Christian persecution, but increase it. There are a select few that stand to profit from these invasions.The US military-industrial complex stands to make some serious profits if the US bombs and / or invades Syria. With respect to oil, Dick Cheney's Haliburton made $39.95 billion off the Iraq war. According to an analysis by the Financial Times published in April 2013, ten contractors received 52 percent of the funds, which came to $138bn in total.The FT Times outlined the No. 1 recipient:Houston-based energy-focused engineering and construction firm KBR, Inc. (NYSE:KBR), which was spun off from its parent, oilfield services provider Halliburton Co. (NYSE:HAL), in 2007. But, even if Cheney is quietly resting at one of his many mansions just twiddling his thumbs, and even if no oil is involved in a Syrian conquest, the use of missiles, fighter jets, ammunition, and all the other accruements of war, will generate huge profits for the hungry US war machine. Is there any surprise, then, that the US MSM consolidated news and political pundits are willing to ignore evidence that suggests the US refrain from such an attack? That wouldn't be politically correct, even for a Nobel Peace Prize winning president. And one thing that many gung-ho anti-Muslim Christian neo-cons may not be aware of is that fellow Christians tend to suffer the most under such invasions.As far as minorities go, Christians were the greatest collateral damage of Iraq War.Organization Open Doors has been on-location in Iraq and offered this first-hand news:"The field worker goes on to say that about 1,000 Christians have been killed during the 10 years since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Compared to other groups that have been killed within Iraq, the number of Christians killed is a much higher percentage." - So, was the Iraq invasion a success? Well, if being a Christian there will get you killed today, I guess that isn't much of a democracy, is it? The article goes on to state, "According to the World Watch List, Iraq is number 4 on the list of countries where Christian persecution is most rife."The following embedded video underscores how Syrian Christians do not want a Syrian invasion today:The Syrian woman made a valid point, a point supported by the people who live and work in the Middle East: US invasions in the Middle East increase Christian persecution and killings. She stated, "We are the minority Christians who, unfortunately, by you and so many in the Senate, are just considered as collateral damage."As noted in McCain's final statement, the woman's comments fell on deaf ears. McCain was instrumental in supporting the false WMD excuse for invading Iraq and, according to the NY Times, "...insists that he will never waver from his support of the war, no matter what the personal cost." Perhaps the secret Middle East war profits of the McCain family offer a slight reason for this determined and undying support?Afghanistan is not much different. It was also invaded by the US shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks and US occupation remains, despite the fact that US soldiers are still being killed and peace and democracy have not been established there. And for Christians? You guessed it, "Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Christian converts from Islamic backgrounds."

Though Middle East leaders are often corrupt, the fact is that streets are safer and there is more real freedom when there is some government control. As noted by Christian Freedom International,

"When government forces aren’t present, Muslims have been known to rob churches and kidnap, rape, or even kill Christian women."Yes, it's true that the Bible tells us that Christians will be persecuted. And Jesus actually told us to rejoice when we are persecuted, because it means we are being identified with Christ. Nevertheless, this does not mean we should support causes that will increase Christian death and abuse.Screenshots of courageous Marines and Navy men are posted on the Internet revealing how personal moral fiber sometimes takes precedence over career and obedience to the status-quo system. Would that the US Congress displayed such courage in requiring accountability for US politicians. One soldier wrote, "Wake up people" on his sign. Are you awake?

The agenda of the New World Order

One of the reasons the US public is not aware of what is transpiring is because mainstream news simply avoids a lot of important stories. The two main beneficiaries of the US interventions in the Middle East are those seeking war profits and those seeking more international control.

In summary, there has been a pretension that US invasions will bring peace and democracy to troubled Middle Eastern areas. When, in reality, thousands of innocent civilians have been maimed, abused or killed and the violence continues to this day. Instead of actual peace and democracy, we now have globalists over seeing a "peace process" that 5they are in control of. Almost all of the Christians were either killed or forced to flee out of these countries. Profiteers and New World Order globalists are the ones who benefit from such interventions. Sadly, many US evangelical Christians, such as Billy Graham, have bought into the warped and criminal neocon value system and actually lend their support to US war criminals and their combination of secret and overt crimes.I stumbled across a verse which seems to apply to the US military these days: "Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, You will be plundered; When you make an end of dealing treacherously, They will deal treacherously with you." (Isaiah 33.1 KJV)Tags: Polls show US citizens against Syrian invasion, Christians killed in Middle East after US invasions, Christians persecuted and forced to leave after US invasions of Middle Eastern countries, neocon wars, Middle East war excuses, McCain war profits, Obama supports al Queda, US servicemen oppose Obama and Syrian War, New World Order Middle East wars

Hi Justin, in case you were wondering, I'm not a pacifist in the sense that I disagree with all wars all the time. I believe is Augustine's just war theory. However, the US invasion of Iraq is not considered a just intervention according to just war theory.

I would tend to agree with the following conclusions:

"The Iraq invasion was unjust according to the jus ad bellum criteria: Just Cause, Right Authority, Right Intention[1]"

"The invasion remains a largely neoconservative[19] response to an anarchic world, in which America’s hard power threatens to make forceful claims on the territorial integrity and political sovereignty of disputing states."

I would go further and state that Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld should have been investigated by the following Obama administration for international war crimes. However, Obama hails from the same cabal of puppet masters and, though given some rhetoric, this type of investigation was never a serious consideration.

I am not familiar with Augustine's just war theory but I do understand the difference between morally justifiable violence and the opposite. I agree essentially with what you are arguing here. Some wars are necessary and some are quite simply crimes. Amazing that a christian and an atheist would agree:) I too am not a pacifist and served 6 years in our navy.